2017 Employee Benefits Forum

Compensation Considerations for Retirement Plans

Presented by: Donna Wolfson, Schneider Downs

Compensation is used for many different purposes in qualified retirement plans.  This session will describe and compare the different definitions of compensation that are required or permitted to be used for different purposes, and highlight the importance of coordinating plan provisions with payroll processing.

Prepare Now-Avoiding Benefit Plan Pitfalls in Corporate Transactions 

Presented by: Lauren Crossett & Jennifer Gardner, Cohen & Grigsby

While many employers will never face a full IRS or DOL audit of their retirement and welfare plans, there is a good chance that unknown operational and design errors with these plans will become a central issue in a corporate merger or acquisition.  Over the past five years alone, our firm has handled more than 175 mergers and acquisitions, and a significant portion of these transactions have involved benefit plan problems and issues.  Corporate transactions can arise quickly, and the company's benefit team needs to be prepared for the possibility that the acquirer's lawyers will be sifting through historical documents and data for the company's plans.  This presentation will explore specific plan documentary and operational issues that are often discovered during a buyer's due diligence review of a seller's plans, and we will discuss ways that you can avoid or correct these common issues before they become an issue for a future corporate transaction. 

Fiduciary Litigation Update and Best Practices to Avoid Exposure

Presented by: Scott Rain, Schneider Downs

This presentation will address recent plan sponsor and service provider fiduciary litigation and outline best practices to protect employers and fiduciaries.

Ask the Experts Panel Discussion

This year's seminar will include an in-depth panel discussion from industry experts, Jason Lumpkin, Donna Wolfson, Lauren Crossett, Jennifer Gardner, Jeanne Barrett and Todd Lucas. Have a question that you would like to ask? Submit them here.